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I have recently purchased a Northfield NF F5S and have begun auditioning various strings.
So far I've tried J74's and Martin Monel's. Neither completely exciting. Just wondering what other Northfield owners might recommend for this particular instrument.
Any advice would be welcomed.
Thanks
Kelly
Congrats on your new mando! I have a 2014 Northfield F5M and really liked the Thomastik strings but even if I only had to change them twice a year the cost skyrocketed last year and I gave up on them.
So, I got some string sets directly from Northfield, I really like them - you could call/email and talk to them about it as I'm not sure what they would be equivalent to. Ive had them on since January and play a couple hours a day and they are still holding up.
I'm liking the DAddario Monels on my F5S a lot. Really brings out the woody tone in the G strings. Of the two gauges, I like the heavier set.
I also have an NF-5S and have been playing with many different strings for a couple of years. I've just put on my 2nd set of D'Addario XTs, the custom Medium with the slightly larger E and A courses and I absolutely love them. I've had issues with my acidic sweat making even the coated EXP phosphor bronze strings go nasty, fast. The XTs seem to last much longer and basically eliminated that problem. I love the tone, super warm, punchy/louder chop, more overtones for single notes, and they stay in tune MUCH better than any other string I have tried. They are my new favorite string. Runners up would be the GHS Silk and Steel, D'Addario Flat Tops, and the Curt Magnan Medium/heavy. I highly recommend trying the XTs.
Have you tried monels? They’re very resistant to corrosion for an uncoated string.Quote:
Originally Posted by rivervalleymando
I have Curt Mangan's phosphor bronze on my NF F5S. Bluegrass series.
I use the set with the 16 gauge for the A's, seems to give me the best balance across the strings.
They sound great, and last long.
I have gravitated to monels in a .015 to .041 gauge on my brightest mandolin and like them a lot. You should give J 75s a shot just to experience the heavier strings, then get a coated string or monels for the long term. While not owning one I've played a few and love the tone.
I tried a set Curt Mangan Monels on my NF5S. It’s sounded and played like a different F5. I really enjoyed playing the mandolin. Just put a set on my MT-2, subtle if any change at all. So I guess your mileage may vary. Lp
I purchased my Northfield F5S a few months ago and absolutely love it - enjoy your new Mandolin. I have experimented with J74’s, elixir 80/20’s, D’addario XT’s and D’addario Nickel Bronze. I have settled on the Nickel Bronze as my favorite both for feel and tone. It is so subjective - to me the notes just seem clearer and the beautiful wood tone of the mandolin just seems to come through more clearly.
I’ve tried similar strings on my F5S as the posters above, but nothing pleased me as much as when I tried the Siminoff Straight Up Strings, medium gauge.
Even when new, they don’t have that excessive brassy quality that one tends to hear with other types.
They really bring out the sweetness and the woodiness of the F5S in a lovely way.
They last a good two months or so (I play about an hour a day).
And because they are designed to put a balanced load on the bridge all across the set, I find they feel a little more elastic and springier under the pick.
Best volume and tone I got out of mine, which I had from 2013 until 2019, 6 years, after trying monels, mangan mediums, d'addario j74s, etc. was a set of john pearse mediums. At one point I put the set that comes with a .39 G string rather than the .40 G string so I could tune it to an A to play Jenny Lynn.
That's one heavy duty E string. Ouch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Br1ck
I'm guessing it was an .0115.Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Grieser